§ 33-5-20-1 — Definitions

As used in this article, the term: (1) "Domestic surplus lines insurer" means a nonadmitted insurer that is domiciled in this state with which a surplus lines broker may place surplus lines insurance; (1.1) "Exempt commercial purchaser" means any person purchasing commercial insurance that, at the time of placement, meets the following requirements: (A) The person employs or retains a qualified risk manager to negotiate insurance coverage; (B) The person has paid aggregate nation-wide commercial property and casualty insurance premiums in excess of $100,000.00 in the immediately preceding 12 months; and (C) (i) The person meets at least one of the following criteria: (I) The person possesses a net worth in excess of $20 million as such amount is adjusted pursuant to division (ii) of this subparagraph; (II) The person generates annual revenues in excess of $50 million as such amount is adjusted pursuant to division (ii) of this subparagraph; (III) The person employs more than 500 full-time or full-time equivalent employees per individual insured or is a member of an affiliated group employing more than 1,000 employees in the aggregate; (IV) The person is a not for profit organization or public entity generating annual budgeted expenditures of at least $30 million as such amount is adjusted pursuant to division (ii) of this subparagraph; or (V) The person is a municipality with a population in excess of 50,000. (ii) Effective on January 1, 2016, and every five years on January 1 thereafter, the amounts in subdivisions (I), (II), and (IV) of division (i) of this subparagraph shall be adjusted to reflect the percentage change for such five-year period in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor. (2) "Home state" means: (A) The state in which an insured maintains its principal place of business or, in the case of an individual, the individual's principal residence; or (B) If 100 percent of the insured risk is located outside the state referred to in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the state to which the greatest percentage of the insured's taxable premium for that insurance contract is allocated. If more than one insured from an affiliated group are named insureds on a single nonadmitted insurance contract, the term "home state" means the home state, as determined according to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, of the member of the affiliated group that has the largest percentage of premium attributed to it under such insurance contract. (3) "Nonadmitted insurance" means any property and casualty insurance permitted in a state to be placed directly or through a surplus line broker with a nonadmitted insurer eligible to accept such insurance. (4) "Principal place of business" means the state where the insured maintains its headquarters and where the insured's high-level officers direct, control, and coordinate the business's activities. (5) "Principal residence" means the state where the individual resides for the greatest number of days during a calendar year. (6) "Qualified risk manager" means, with respect to a policyholder of commercial insurance, a person who meets all of the following requirements: (A) The person is an employee of, or third-party consultant retained by, the commercial policyholder; (B) The person provides skilled services in purchase of insurance and in loss prevention, loss reduction, or risk and insurance coverage analysis; (C) The person has a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in risk management, business administration, finance, economics, or any other field determined by a state insurance commissioner or other state regulatory official or entity to demonstrate minimum competence in risk management and: (i) Has three years of experience in risk financing, claims administration, loss prevention, risk and insurance analysis, or purchasing commercial lines of insurance; (ii) Has a designation as a chartered property and casualty underwriter issued by the American Institute for CPCU/Insurance Institute of America; (iii) Has a designation as an associate in risk management issued by the American Institute for CPCU/Insurance Institute of America; (iv) Has a designation as certified risk manager issued by the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research; (v) Has a designation as a RIMS Fellow issued by the Global Risk Management Institute; or (vi) Has any other designation, certification, or license determined by the Commissioner to demonstrate minimum competency in risk management; and (D) The person has: (i) At least seven years of experience in risk financing, claims administration, loss prevention, risk and insurance coverage analysis, or purchasing commercial lines of insurance; (ii) Any one of the designations specified in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph; or (iii) A graduate degree from an accredited college or university in risk management, business administration, finance, economics, or any other field determined by a state insurance commissioner or other state regulatory official or entity to demonstrate minimum competence in risk management. (7) "Surplus line insurance" means any property and casualty insurance permitted in a state to be placed through a surplus line broker with a nonadmitted insurer eligible to accept such insurance. (8) "Surplus line broker" or "broker" means an individual who is licensed in this state to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance on properties, risks, or exposures located or to be performed in this state with nonadmitted insurers.

Legislative History

Amended by 2019 Ga. Laws 321,§ 33, eff. 5/12/2019. Amended by 2019 Ga. Laws 139,§ 1-25, eff. 7/1/2019. Amended by 2018 Ga. Laws 448,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2018. Added by 2011 Ga. Laws 112,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2011.